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PROS

CONS

VERDICT

You'll have to be a truly adventurous action fan to get to the juicy core of RottenCity, but the cute style and open action gameplay might be enough for some to muddle through.

Full Review

App Store Info

**UPDATE** After a recent patch, RottenCity was given an option to enable D-Pad controls for the game. Movement, aiming and firing feels much smoother and makes it much easier to enjoy the game as you're no longer fighting against your own character. Definitely worth trying if you're after a challenging survival experience.

RottenCity by 3Dpaper could easily be an absorbing action-RPG that could devastate your available free time if it wasn't for the game's tragic flaws. Combining a run and gun style of gameplay with RPG and exploring elements, the game sounds positively great in theory, but in practice you'll have to deal with ill-suited controls and loose open world goals to succeed.

Touching and holding the screen will allow you to move your character as though using a directional pad, but even after an extended period of time it's hard to say that it feels natural. Firing weapons involves different sequences of movement, requiring you to test every weapon out as much as possible, but you'll be doing that a lot anyway as you try out items that are given no explanation at all just to see what they do.

However, at the opposite end of the spectrum is the game's amazing art style that's clear, dangerously cute and for the most part easy to understand. The zombies shamble convincingly and despite Nadia's confident appearance in most of the artwork she looks adorably innocent when attempting to fire her weapons. The game's music could have been brilliant, however it's often sold short by using short low-quality loops.

If you can muddle through perfecting the controls as much as possible, there's still an amazingly addictive title to enjoy, but peeling away those rotten layers can be a chore. Definitely a game exclusively for hardcore genre fans.

Description

The Rotten City

Synopsis

2013 AD - The Rotten City has been quarantined. Before the biochemical warfare, Nadia Mincemeat was an ordinary high school student. She is now a zombie hunter that destroys zombies to acquire the precious "Blood Jewels". The living survivors are desperately seeking to move to the last remaining "clean" island, known as "0614". In order to gain this "right of migration" to "0614", Blood Jewels are the only accepted form of payment. These Blood Jewels can only be found in the bodies of zombies. If someone were to enter The Rotten City, that individual would need to make the choice of escaping the city or becoming a zombie. Since so many hunters have failed to escape, the zombie population of The Rotten City has flourished. Will Nadia make it out alive?

Special Feature

Touch & Drag Control
This game can be controlled with one finger. With the screen free of control buttons, you can have a clear view and can access your items easier.

cute arcade action RPG
This is an 2D Action Arcade Game that utilizes RPG elements, such as accomplishing quests using various items, raising the skills of your weapons and so forth.

Resource Management System
In order to defeat different zombies, you require the use of different weapons. This means you have to manage your resources diligently and strategically.

System of Improving Weapon's Skill
The Weapon's Targeting Skill improves the more often your weapon is used. Which in turn, enables you to deal more damage to the zombies. So even if you fight the same zombie again, it's like playing a new game because or your weapon's improved skill.

Items
There are many kinds of items in this game. The Vaccine cures the infection caused by the zombie virus. Food and Potions help you recover your strength. There are also Special Potions you will encounter with specific functions. Various weapons are useful in defeating zombies according to their individual characteristics. While Armor may protect you from zombie attacks, it can't protect you from getting infections. An Item Collector will help you in acquiring items. Finally, there is an Inventory for storing all your Items and Places of Safety where you can get some rest